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Baught a bmw e61 recentlly with broken sunroof, all stuck closed no reaction, no leaks so its fine, ex owner said needs whole sunroof replacement to work.. was wondering if theres cheaper fix? would it be posible to fix the blind alone, so could least open it and close it? to enjoy the view
Thanks

After many years of living with my 330Ci auto, from new, where it was faultlessly reliable over 146k miles, the arrival of my Bullmastiff, and the impeding ULEZ (https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone) charge which would affect me, as I live within the North Circular, made me think about changing.
Before the ULEZ, I'd have considered the diesel - a friend's 335i coupe drives very well. But diesels will have to be Euro6 for the ULEZ, which rules out a lot. I suspect that a lot of people in London will be starting to offload them, once the impact of this becomes clear.
So, given my 8k annual mileage, I decided to stay petrol - and having had an auto for many years, I really wanted to get into a manual again, with an I6 or V8. I just missed the instant response, control, and it also gives me something to keep my mind occupied (not to everyone's taste, I know).
Manual M Sport 530i's turn out to be quite rare, and there is not much choice in the matter. I got my LCI M-Sport for around 7k. 57 plate, 78k miles on the clock, stamped book, not all BMW. Drove really well for such a large car. It had recently had brakes and suspension work done. I really like the sports suspension, manual box and big, smooth petrol motor. It can flick round small roundabouts, or cruise on motorways. It is actually a lot more tail happy than my old 330 - perhaps this is German humour, but I like it. It did not have lots of toys - I'd have liked heated seats, but it did have DAB, and I'm not bothered about nav, or the big sunroof (especially given the flooding problems that can happen). It didn't have run flats, and the ride was a great compromise between sporty, and not crashy. I've put in a boot liner, and and OEM dog guard from Ebay, and all is good. It's hauled 1/3 ton of tiles, been touring around France, sat on the A406, and been great. Although it had been serviced, I did my own oil and filter change, for peace of mind.
Problems.
- I found that the electrics in the hatch were stuffed. I couldn't open the glass, the fobs didn't work. I had to redo all the wiring, except the co-axial, which I did with solder butt joints and silicone wire. Some bodging had happened previously, which I fixed. I did have to replace the diversity antenna. All is now good. Other than the antenna, this cost peanuts, apart from my time.
- CCV valve. After a few months, it started to run very badly, with air suction through the oil cap. Garage replaced the CCV valve, all now good, except that it still likes oil.
- Oil - it consumes 1l every 1k-1.2k miles. This was a real concern to me initially. However, it has not changed, and seems to be a constant. My old 330i didn't do this at all. I've spoken to several mechanics about this (specialist and non specialist), and everyone tells me to not worry about it. The nerd in me doesn't like this, but I now just top up. And it pulls like a train with no blue smoke under any circumstances. My friend's E46 320i drank oil like this as well. And that was bought at 60k, sold at 190k. So I will just ignore this for the time being, but I'm trying a 40w oil (Fuchs Titan Supersyn Longlife 5W-40 - LL01) to see if this helps.
Naturally - I still worry about the N53 motor, with all the various gloom and doom posts on the internet. I rang BMW, who told me that it had had a ton of work done on it, and "it should be fine". Obviously, this could mean anything, but a year of driving has seen perfect reliability, other than the above points. I run it on V-Power, with occasional Momentum, in the hope that good quality oil and fuel may abate any nasty problems. Also - the lack of a FBMWSH, and the bodging on the tailgate wiring, is a concern that it may not have been loved - maybe the previous owner decided they wanted to chop it in, and spend no more money on it. On the upside, a specialist who looked at the underside said that it was one of the cleanest he'd seen. I will probably get the gearbox and diff oil done at the next service. I got the gearbox oil done on my 330ci at 75k miles, then at 135k miles, and the box was as good as gold.
In short, it is a great car, and I love driving it. Not sure what I'd replace it with, and I will look after it. Fingers crossed on the N53, but it is performing really well so far. I just hope that writing this post doesn't bring on gremlins If you use all the power, then it does drink, but that's to be expected. 35mpg easily attainable on runs, with careful driving. Non careful, and it is around 30.
So there we are. Sporty, manual, N/A straight six, refined, ULEZ proof, reliable so far, with a huge boot. What's not to like?

Hi all,
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Happy motoring!
MStyle Team
E60 E61 Twin Slat Gloss Black Grilles WAS £49 NOW £29
E60 E61 M Sport/M5 Look Side Skirts WAS £186 NOW £99
E60 E61 M5 Look Front Bumper WAS £239.40 NOW £169

So far: I'm using the high outputs of the floor subs to feed an Amp in the boot, to then drive 2 medium sized cabs, each with 8 inch sub drivers (from my previous E39). The stock basic (head unit powered audio) system has a somewhat querky setup. As noted elsewhere, the other speakers are hi bass pass filtered and do not contain full range sub frequencies, hence using the floor subs as a feed (instructions here and info here and this post explains why). The head unit also does strange mixing left/right when pushing the balance fully left or right, so leaving the left/right balance centered.
Edit: Took the Amp remote from boot cigaret lighter socket where again brown is earth/neg (wondered why it wasn't working...). This will only trigger the Amp remote when then engine ignition is on (when the engine is running).
I've added some front door tweeters in the quarters, also as previously noted on this forum, the over EQ'd brightness of the head unit requires dialing back the treble to the middle. Referenced the BMW E60 E61 FRONT DOOR PANEL REMOVAL video, but I left all connections and airbag attached, using a large cardboard box (15cm above the bottom of the door) and a chair to hold the door card whilst tapping in the tweeter (with inline supplied crossover box) onto the front door speaker feed. Remember, any audio wire with a brown stripe is the negative (German). Fitted a pair of Hertz DT 24.3 80w Tweeter 24mm (~£30 for a pair including crossovers, not plug n play but a workable fit, full specs here).
Caution: the black tweeter quarter grill (door triangle) is very soft and can be easily damaged/bent/creased.
Whilst an improvement I still have to balance the full strength of the boot subs relative to the floor subs with respect to a bass setting about +3 (where 0 = centred). Not sure this kind of upgrade is going to be as successful as with other cars and might find a less muddy solution by disconecting the floor subs (that requires removing the front seat bolts again!).
Noticed some CPU like electronic interfearance being dragged in from somewhere, maybe the hi output feeds running too close to kit in the bottom of the boot or along side wiring looms without using twisted pair wiring. Luckily when the boot Amp is switched into sub frequency mode the interfearance is not a problem and is largely filtered out.
Tomorrow I will try putting the sub drivers closer together centered instead of at extremes. I'm looking for the best orientation for phase compatibility with the stock floor subs? After trying this n that and swapping polarity, I'm currently settling on the boot subs facing upward and situated up against the rear seats (eventually settled rear facing). Not too bad but I feel there could be a better sub location setup, any opinions?
Edit: Found some good detailed E60 upgrade options and background info here. and here! And another related thread here and more legacy budget options info here
Identify your stock audio system: https://musicarnw.com/start-here-your-car/
https://musicarnw.com/bmw-sound-systems-by-us-model-year/

Hi guys.
I'm new to the forum so wanted some help please.
Recently bought a E61 535d sport and I love the thing! Got a few issues that I need help with though.
1. Panoramic roof doesn't work properly, you can get the glass back in stages but the inside cover doesn't seem to want to go back at all? Is this a common problem/straight forward fix?
2. Auto lights switch turns the xenon headlights on in the day, which leads me to believe the dusk sensor isn't working? The rear view mirror is also quite dim. See you home lights don't work either.
3. Had to replace the battery and noticed water sitting in the battery tray. What do I need to check for blockages? Clearly a drainage problem related to the tailgate? Heard that this is a common problem?
Any help with the above points would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Ams.

Over the past few days I’ve noticed that the car isn’t detecting that I’ve put the gearbox into P and I have to wiggle it a bit. It’s really annoying because the car won’t release the keys unless it can sense it’s in P.
anyone know if this is an easy fix or what needs to be done? Feels like a sensor problem?

Thought I'd post this in here in case anyone knows
I'd like to see if there's a 'latest' version of maps that I can update my system to; it has the Navi DVD unit in the boot and on the iDrive screen etc. As far as I can tell; it's the OEM original version
Wondered if the iDrive unit and Navi system in mine is the same as the E60/E61s; so hoping from answers from that crowd

Hi all, long time no post...
Anyway, short story version. I went to look at an E61 530i Touring 6 Speed Manual 2007 LCI (269bhp) 110k miles 2 owners (mostly London commuting), plus a few extras from factory etc.
Test driving and noticed a funny low end noise, I thought it was bottom end but later (after shooting the video) I realised that the knocking went away when the clutch was pressed in. That led me to Dual Mass flywheel issues but I don't know or what specific mechanisms are envolved or how they are malfunctioning (spring weights etc.). Most noticable heavy knocking on tickover and just after a little rev. Put the clutch in and it goes away.
I thought the top end was a bit tappy, more than I would expect and I could detect the engine slightly rocking around. Is this normal for these tuned 530i LCI 2007 onward setups?
Can any of you guys have a listen a see what you think, enlighten me?
It goes well but this is the first 530i I've test driven. Booted it in 2nd n 3rd and noticed the performance below 3k RPM quite average, though I've never been that impressed with low end torque from BMW 6 cyl petrol engines. Up through 4k RPM and the magic starts to really happen, building nicely until I bail out at 6k RPM.
Edit: Since found this useful informative video:
Buying a used BMW 5 series E60, E61 - 2003-2010, Buying advice with Common Issues

Hi everyone. Newbie here.
I have a 530d e61 msport with partial electric heated seat pack.
I am finding them uncomfortable on my lower back. Does anyone know if it's possible to retro fit lumbar support or change the seats for ones already fitted? If so is it an easy plug and play job?. Cheers

Folks, some of your collective advice please?
I have an 05 E61 530D with 160k on the clock.
A couple of years ago, having left the boot open for a day and running it down, the car failed to start. Battery recharged but was never the same running flat at inopportune moments so had it replaced by a local garage.
Since then I've had a variety of issues that are related and some just coincidence some of which have been fixed and some still with me and despite doing a shedload of research I can't seem to pinpoint what may be the issue here.
Problems I've had since then:
No Bluetooth (greyed out box on iDrive screen).
Poor FM reception.
Battery drain message.
Battery running flat.
Random opening of tailgate glass.
Failed rear wiper motor.
No remote locking key reception - never slowly failed just stopped working one day. Alarm sounds on 50% of opening driver's door with key. Annoying.
The rectifications I've completed in the intervening period are:
New YUASA batt - correctly coded.The 2nd since I replaced the original 2 years back.
IBS disconnected to check the batt drain message - no effect.
New rear tailgate glass switch. Stopped the random opening of the glass lid.
Both rear hinge wiring looms repaired professionally. O/S done with an aftermarket eBay loom from Germany. Several broken wires found but the fix didn't resolve any of the niggling issues.
Removal of Diversity antenna - looks fine without any moisture/corrosion so was put back into position.
Rear wiper motor replaced (I think that was just seizure due to position).
FM antenna re-positioned under boot spoiler - FM reception now 80% of pre-failure standard.
So I still no longer have any Bluetooth or remote central locking. After all my research the finger would be pointed at the Diversity antennna but that looks fine without anything obviously wrong with it. I cleaned it with electrical flux cleaning solution and refitted the cover. At 250 quid I'm loath just to buy another off ebay and hope for the fix. Can they be tested at all? Anyone know of any companies that provide this service?
I would appreciate your collective advice as I'm getting rather tired of tghe endless electrical snags this car seems to throw up continually. Really takes the edge off owning a motor like this.
Cheers

So about 6 months ago I had a gearbox oil leak and sent it to a local Indy for repair and a gearbox service.
Recently I’ve noticed when slowing down that sometimes it CLUNKS when going into first gear. It doesn’t seem to do it all the time, but when it does you can really feel it.
From research online it seems that the solution is a gearbox service!
Any other ideas?
car has done around 100k miles
thanks!

Hi there, my E61 has just developed what what sounds like the common problem of broken/frayed wires in the loom to the tailgate. I've looked this up and thanks to some fairly comprehensive 'how to' guides (hats off to all who do these - you truly are heroes!) I'm comfortable with giving the repair a go myself but won't be able to find time/a warm garage for a week or so.
In the meantime I have the annoying problem of the interior lights staying on after I've locked the car. I understand that this is because the car thinks the glass hatch is open and that the lights should eventually go off after 15 minutes but with regular use that sounds like a flat battery won't be far away. To avoid this I've removed the boot lights and am manually switching off the interior lights after I've opened the door but that's a bit of a pain and I was wondering if there is any easily accessible way of creating a circuit that allows the car to think all is well?

Hi all,
I need to replace my thermostat on my E61 2.0d M Sport, it has the N47 engine (177bhp)
Anybody know of links to guides pics/videos on doing this job? It only has the main Stat and not the EGR one on this engine.

Hi Everyone,
So I know this is a common problem, but I'm really in a bit of a bind at the moment as I need my locking wheel not which is down by the spare wheel.
The boot won't open with the handle or with the key. It opens slightly then retracts back.
Boot Window opening button does nothing
I can't find any way to manually open the boot from inside. I have climbed in the back and looked for buttons or holes or cords and there's just nothing related to the opening of the boot. It seems like these features were added to later versions of the e61.
I'm assuming it's an electrical problem, but any idea how I can get this boot open to even start repairing it?
Thanks!

Nice E61 touring, quite local to me actually, I think I've probably seen it driving around in fact
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-525d-3-0-M-Sport-Touring-6-Speed-MANUAL/182917925168?hash=item2a96c20930:g:GWgAAOSwCQlZ8kUn
Presumably quite rare being a sport with a manual gearbox?

Hello All,
New member here, but not new to BMW 5ers. Previously had an E39 520 saloon, E39 528 Touring and also an E38 728.
Im about to move back to the UK after several years away and am looking at another touring. I'd first thought about another E39 (maybe 530d) but then got to thinking about the E61 ( probably the 520d) . If it's the E61, would go for a later model , 2008-2010. Something ideally with sub 100k on the clock. Would be looking to spend under £10k.
So, looking for some advice and re-assurance I suppose, that the E61 would serve me well. I'd be looking to keep it for about 5 years. I'd love one with a DAB system but understand this will only come on the current generation of 5ers.
Any advice / tips what to look for and which diesel model is best out the E61s?
Thanks in advance.
Edited to add: As I'm relatively familiar with the E39, the E61 is totally new territory for me so know nothing about them. I suppose the real question is- how do they compare? Cheers.

On my way to pick up my e61 from what I believe to be a garage with a decent reputation.
The gearbox was dripping spots of oil onto my driveway so I called them up and they explained that it's likely that the sump has cracked and they would change the sump, the oil, the gasket and the mechatronic sleeve for £400 inc vat. Bit pricey I thought but ok.
When I was there I asked them to do the glowplugs and the controller and blank the swirl flaps. About £500 extra they said. Bit pricey I thought but ok.
Just got the call to collect the car and they said all in its £1200! Said they had to change a pressure valve and he waffled on a bit about some extra labour. Additionally they said there was nothing wrong with the sump it was just the gasket that was leaking, so they put the sump back on.
£1200 for a gasket, gearbox oil, glowplugs and swirl flap blanks!??
Im sure I'll just end up paying as I hate arguing but this seems ridiculous
What would you do?

Hi everyone,
Got a low coolant level warning in my '04 525d estate today. It has 95k miles on the clock,
I checked the level after the engine cooled down and it was slightly below the minimum marker. I could still see some green fluid in there.
Havent noticed any puddles and the car drives fine otherwise.
I did get the thermostats and the exhaust manifold changed about 4 months ago which involved replacing the coolant.
Worth investigating further or shall I just top it off and see how it goes?

E61 530d.
I used to change my engine oil with a suction pump on my e34 and e39 and it used to pull all the oil out. However I just tried on my E61 and only got 5 or 6 litres. Is the sump a funny shape that the dipstick tube is not above the lowest point? I guess I'll have to drain it the old fashioned way. Any thoughts?

E61 530d.
I used to change my engine oil with a suction pump on my e34 and e39 and it used to pull all the oil out. However I just tried on my E61 and only got 5 or 6 litres. Is the sump a funny shape that the dipstick tube is not above the lowest point? I guess I'll have to drain it the old fashioned way. Any thoughts?

Hi, I bought myself 2004 E61 to replace my 2001 e39 that I didn't bother doing the swirl flaps on. It bit me. Anyway my android phone, Xperia Z5 pairs and transfers numbers but I'm lucky to get one call before the sound reverts back to the phone with nothing through the speakers. Is this fixable? Or is the bt unit just too old. I guess this is a common problem. Any solution? Cheers.